Counting Stars
by Yaushibee
Summary: A collection of NaLu short stories and drabbles. Other pairings, themes, AUs, and Happy may vary.
1. 1st Star: Bored

She picked one book up, she put it back down. She flipped through one, thumbed through another, heaving a sigh when none of the printed words caught her attention.

Lucy was bored.

It was a slow day at the guild. Most members were off on jobs and the ones that weren't were scattered around the guild hall, quietly minding themselves. They were too tired to do much else on their time off from the slew of job requests that came in after the GMG.

Lucy was one of those who had decided to take the day off from jobs. She had plenty enough jewels to pay her rent for this month and then some, she figured a break would be good. So Natsu and Happy had gone off on a job without her.

While it was nice earlier in the day to just kick back and do nothing, Lucy now felt uneasy by her inactivity. She thought maybe reading could occupy her for a bit though that clearly wasn't working.

She shoved the books aside on the table, laying her head in her arms. She stared hard at the wall across from her, trying to think of something she could do. Nothing came to mind. Lucy sighed again when a hand touched her shoulder.

"Oh, Lucy you're awake." Natsu said, grinning wide at her. He had a fresh cut on his cheek and a large scrape on his visible wrist. Noticing her attention on the wound, Natsu rubbed the back of his head. "I had some trouble on the way back from the job. It's fine."

"Natsu," Happy piped up, landing on the table beside the books. "You fell off a cliff."

Natsu waved him off but flinched ever so slightly at the action.

"Why did you fall off a cliff?" Lucy asked, gently taking his wrist in hand. She looked it over and could see bruising already.

"This little kid fell off so Natsu jumped after." Happy answered. "I had already run out of magic at that point so I couldn't fly down to help. Natsu landed funny on his wrist but the kid was okay."

Lucy glanced up to meet Natsu's eyes briefly before looking back down. She didn't say anything right away but her lips pursed together. The wrist had started to swell. "Let's put some ice on this."

When Natsu opened his mouth to challenge her, she shot him a glare and he silenced.

Lucy stood and then pulled him by the arm past the bar counter and into the kitchen with Happy trailing behind. She directed Natsu to a wooden stool to sit while she rummaged through the freezer.

Once she found the ice, Lucy grabbed a spare towel to wrap them in and returned to his side. Gingerly she pressed the ice onto Natsu's wrist and he bit back a hiss.

"If Wendy were here I would have her look this over. It's pretty bad, Natsu." Lucy said with a frown. She let go of the towel so Natsu could hold it himself. She leaned against the counter beside him. "Once the swelling goes down, I'll clean and wrap it."

Natsu gave her a lopsided grin. "Thanks, Lucy."

Lucy hummed in reply, her brows pulled together and a frown still in place. She wondered what would have happened if she had gone on the job with them. Would Happy have expended less of his magic during the job and been able to save the kid himself? Would she have summoned Horologium to do it instead? If she had been there, would the kid have fallen off at all? If she had gone, maybe Natsu wouldn't have gotten hurt.

She didn't like that thought.

Especially not since she didn't do anything productive or worthwhile in the meantime. It was certainly more likely the child's lack of parental supervision and Natsu just being reckless again that this happened, she felt a little like it was her fault.

"Hey, Lucy," Natsu said, startling her out of her thoughts, "when do you think I can take this off? It feels like Gray is holding my hand or something and it's gross."

Lucy ignored the last comment. "After the swelling goes down, I told you. And, before you ask, I'm not sure how long that'll be. Probably awhile."

Natsu's shoulders slouched. "I'm kind of bored."

"Mwe shoo." Happy perked up. Somehow he had nabbed some fish jerky from the pantry while Lucy wasn't watching, so his mouth was full and the words came out mumbled. Lucy understood it though.

"How about I read to you guys?" Lucy suggested. "I brought a lot of books with me so I have a couple options."

Both brightened at the idea and agreed so Lucy went to grab one of her books. First instructing, of course, that if Natsu took off the ice while she was gone, that she would take the book and hit him with it.

She quickly returned with one of her more action-packed novels. Happy climbed onto her lap, while she sat on the counter—she hoped Mirajane wouldn't mind—and began to read from the first chapter.

Oddly enough, when she was reading to them she easily got engrossed in the story. She exaggerated certain parts and the voices and the two ate it up.

Lucy could tell that Happy felt bad about what happened too, and Natsu as well for making them both worry, but it didn't matter that she wasn't there. She couldn't change what has passed. What mattered was that she could make them feel better and do this for them now.

She smiled as she read a particularly fierce battle in the story. Lucy wasn't bored anymore.


	2. 2nd Star: Gloves

She had lost her gloves to a squirrel.

And he thought it was hilarious but she didn't find it amusing in the least.

"Natsu, stop laughing." Lucy grumbled as she marched back through the snow to where he was kneeling over with laughter. She crossed her arms over her chest, and watched him with an annoyed and embarrassed expression until he calmed down. Or so she thought. No sooner had he righted himself again and saw the look on her face, that he dissolved into more laughter.  
Lucy sighed and puffed out her cheeks in a childish manner, waiting for him to stop again.

"I'm-I'm really sorry, Lucy, it's just—kkk, really funny—" Natsu managed to get out, to which Lucy just rolled her eyes.

They were currently lingering in an open field just on the boarder of Magnolia. The shouts and excited screams of their fellow guild mates' echoed through the trees to their backs. Lucy had been one of the first ten people to get knocked out of the guild's annual snowball fight. It was her first year doing it, so she hadn't much experience. Natsu got taken out shortly after her, being at a disadvantage for being a fire mage. After someone became eliminated from the game, they were allowed to roam freely so long as they stayed out of the woods until a winner was finally declared.

Lucy shuffled her boots in the powdery snow, wondering just how long until that might be. The tips of her fingers had started to feel more like ice cubes and her nose had began to run quite unattractively. Plus, all three layers of socks she was wearing were soaked through.

Of course, they wouldn't have been wet like that in the first place if they had just stayed in the small tent the guild had set up for those who got eliminated. In there they could sit and enjoy hot cocoa while the game continued. Natsu had become bored after only a short time and insisted they go play in the snow. It wasn't actually a bad idea; Lucy had already drank her entire cup of cocoa and figured it might be fun.

And it was fun, until—

"—an't be that mad, Lucy, are you?"

Lucy snapped out of her thoughts, looking over at a now sober Natsu. Since when had he stopped laughing? "What was that?" Lucy asked.

Natsu gave her a look, his brows furrowed. "I was asking if you were mad at me laughing at you, since you were ignoring me."

"Oh." Lucy breathed, brushing back a piece of her bangs that had fallen from under her hat. She winced in surprise at how cold her fingers felt against her forehead. "No, I wasn't ignoring you, I was just lost in thought."

"Hmm," Natsu hummed, eyeing her as she rubbed her hands together in some attempt to warm them.

"I am a little mad though." Lucy confessed, recalling his great amusement at her chasing after a squirrel through two feet of snow and ending up ankle-deep in frigid river water.

Natsu's eyes drifted up from her hands to meet her eyes. She was glaring at him but there was no real anger behind it. "You shouldn't be, the squirrel is the one that stole your gloves and you're the one that set them down to begin with." A small smirk, followed by an almost restrained chuckle, came onto his face when he said it.

Lucy made an embarrassed strangled noise. "I was only setting them down to tie my boots.." She mumbled, still trying to warm her pink hands.

Natsu watched the action again before he took the few steps needed to close the distance between them. Her head jerked up in surprise at his sudden proximity, and if he wasn't mistaken, her cheeks becoming redder than before. "Here," he said grabbing onto her hands before she could pull away and held them firmly in his own. His mouth fell open. "Woah! Your hands are freezing; why didn't you say anything?"

"You don't have to—" Lucy said, still trying to pry her hands free but he held on.

"It's to make up for laughing." He grinned at her before blowing his hot breath onto her hands. She shuddered at the action, her cheeks flaring brighter, reveling in the warmth.

"Fine…" Lucy mumbled, puffing out her cheeks again to stop the smile trying to break onto her face. Her eyes didn't meet his, instead she focused her attention on their intertwined hands. She was being so cute that he couldn't hold back a laugh.

Her eyes shot up to meet his. "What?" She demanded.

"Nothing." He shook his head with a grin, rubbing her hands more gently. She raised a brow at him before going back to that childish pout and dropping her gaze again.

Yep, she had lost her gloves to a squirrel.

And he thought it was adorable.

* * *

Older story I revised some. Based on a drawing I did.


	3. 3rd Star: Close

Based on chapter 382.

* * *

Warren's connection was lost after the Demon King had finished speaking. His last words left an unsettling feeling in Natsu's stomach. The feeling grew as the walls began to morph and swirl around them, and he could feel himself being pulled away from Lucy.

He frantically called out her name and she called back his.

They reached for each other, their fingertips almost touching.

He thought he could grab onto her.

Keep her at his side.

They were so close now.

But the gravitational pull ripped them apart, sending them flying away from the other.

So close yet so far.


	4. 4th Star: Nightmare

Arms come to wrap rightly around his neck and he doesn't hesitate to hug her back, though he feels admittedly curious and maybe a bit confused for the sudden embrace in the first place. "What's wrong, Lucy?" He asks.

She doesn't reply at first, just takes in a shakey breath and releases it in a relieved sigh. The breath tickles his exposed neck.

"Lucy?"

She pulls back slow, enough to see his face and look him in the eye. Her arms have fallen back and now only her hands rest on his shoulders. He notices for the first time how puffy and red her eyes are. "I had a nightmare." She tells him and he nods in understanding. He has the nightmares too.

She continues. "You died."

He nods again and she doesn't resist as he pulls her back against him, her head tucked against his chest. Nothing else needs to be said.

* * *

Quick something that came to me in the middle of the night. I'm leaving it hanging in regards to the exact nature of both their nightmares, possibly for later use heh heh.

And don't worry, next time I'll have a longer one for you guys.


	5. 5th Star: Electrifying

It wasn't like her room was unusually dry or that he had been rubbing his socked feet on her rug. She was pretty sure it wasn't even intentional. But recently, Natsu kept shocking her.

Whenever he crawled into bed with her in the middle of the night and his arm brushed her, she would wake up to a jolt. She would be sitting in her desk chair writing when he would come up from behind and wrap his arms around her neck. It would startle her not only from his sudden arrival but the tingle of energy that would run down her spine. Other times, he would grab her hand to drag her out on a mission and the hairs on her neck would stand from the spark of electricity from his touch. Every time he touched her, no matter how subtle—and admittedly, if not for the shocking, she would have never have noticed just how many times throughout the day they would touch each other—she would feel a light, not quite painful, spark.

For awhile, Lucy would admit that she did think he was doing it on purpose. Yet when she had brought it up to him, he had been just as confused about it as she was. They thought it might go away after sometime but even after a couple weeks, the shocking continued.

By that point, both of them were quite sick of it and needed to get rid of it. Experimenting to see if it was happening to just them seemed like a good first step. They used Happy as their test subject.

Lucy petted Happy. Nothing.

Natsu petted Happy. Nothing.

Natsu petted Lucy. Zap.

So now they knew it was just happening between them. They tried several means after that to try and get rid of it, all which failed, before finally Lucy gave up with a huff. She flopped down onto her bed, frustrated by the whole situation. Natsu sat down beside her, their arms bumping and causing an unsurprising shock again.

They remained silent for awhile until Natsu spoke up. "Maybe it's Laxus."

Lucy raised an eyebrow, looking at him with confusion. "What would Laxus have to do with any of this?"

"He gave me his Lightening Dragon Slayer Magic, right? Maybe that's causing the shocks."

Lucy pushed herself up from the mattress, thinking the possibility over. It kind of made sense but… "But why now? And why would it be effecting just me?"

"Hmm…" Natsu hummed, looking up at the ceiling in thought before turning back to look at her, a cheeky grin on his face. "Maybe it's because you're electrifying."

Lucy gawped, smacking him on the arm—and of course causing yet another shock between them—but couldn't hold back the smile and light blush at his joking answer. Then a thought struck her. "Hey, didn't Freed used to get accidentally shocked all the time by Laxus before they started dating—"

Lucy froze, her sentence hanging unfinished in the air as Natsu looked at her with wide eyes. Had she just implied..? They had been flirting around a romantic relationship for awhile now but to have put it that way outloud was... Realization sunk in and both their cheeks flared up in a blush, hers more obvious than his. They didn't move and Lucy was pretty sure she was forgetting to breath.

They remained like that for what Lucy felt like was forever. It wasn't until the expression Natsu was giving her shifted into, dare she say it, one of desire and he leaned it. Lucy was certain that she wasn't breathing anymore as he came closer until his face was mere centimeters from hers. He paused just for a fraction of a second, hesitation flashing in his eyes, before he moved again and lips were on hers. She sucked in a sharp breath, her eyes fluttered shut as he pressed closer, and her heart pounded in her ears. Natsu's kiss sent a different kind of shock through her body altogether.

Natsu pulled away after a few seconds, searching her eyes for any hints of doubt or dislike. When she smiled brightly at him, the worry in his own eyes disappeared and he matched her smile with one of his own.

There wasn't any shock that time but that kiss was electrifying.

* * *

Another oldie that I revised. Kind of (really) cheesy but it was fun to write originally, I remember.


	6. 6th Star: Bed

Lucy shifted under the sheets, trying to get comfortable. Her shoulders and back were sore from the long day and it was hard to get spread out in the twin sized bed she was in. Compared to her roomier bed at home, this one was like sleeping on a matchbox.

Then again, this was a bed meant for one person. Not _two_.

She rolled onto her side and stared at the mop of scarlet beside her. Erza had crawled in with her earlier to talk and had fallen asleep there shortly after. While Lucy had gotten used to this happening during the Grand Magic Games, that didn't mean it made it any more comfortable to share such a small mattress. Lucy was already on the edge of the bed. Any more and she'd fall off.

Sighing quietly, Lucy looked over at the empty bed adjacent to hers that was supposed to be Erza's for the night. She could just go sleep there instead and hopefully Erza wouldn't mind come morning.

Before she could make up her mind, there was a dip on the side of the bed followed by two arms wrapping around her waist. "Oie, Lucy, move over."

Lucy whipped her head around so fast that she nearly hit Natsu in the nose. "Natsu! What are you doing?" She hissed at him, remembering to keep her voice down.

"Climbing into bed." He answered quietly.

Lucy narrowed her eyes at him. He said it like it wasn't even a big deal. "But—"

She was interrupted when another pair of arms came to wrap around her midsection, pulling her towards the center of the bed. Lucy's gaze slowly traveled to Erza, who was awake and glaring—albeit, rather sleepily—at Natsu.

"Natsu, I'm sleeping with Lucy tonight." The redhead said with an underlining threat. Lucy was surprised she was able to pull that off despite being only half-awake.

Though Natsu did shrink back a little, he didn't get off the bed. Maybe HE was the one who was too sleepy, to ignore Erza's words like this. He opened his mouth to make some sort of argument but Erza cut him off.

"Are you trying to interrupt our precious girl bonding time?"

"Uh—"

"ARE YOU?"

"N-no, ma'am." Natsu stuttered but he still hadn't let go of Lucy. Erza noticed this too, and was about to say something more, when Lucy spoke up. She was too tired to deal with any more of this ridiculousness.

"Natsu, we're going home tomorrow. You can sleep with me like usual then." Lucy said, hoping it would appease him. It did work, as he grinned before letting go and finding his way back to his own bed on the other side of the room.

Lucy sighed, relieved. It almost felt too easy.

Yes, far too easy.

Erza was fully awake now. Her face was flushed pink yet there was an almost knowing look in her eyes and something very close to a smirk on her lips. Lucy wasn't sure how she could have all those expression at one time but she did, and as soon as Erza opened her mouth, she knew that she wasn't getting to sleep any time soon.

"'Like usual?'"

* * *

I wasn't sure how to make Erza react in the end; scandalized or like how she acted when she heard Al and Bisca got married...so I settled on both, if that makes sense? I hope I got it right.

Anyway, this is based on Lucy's reply to Wendy asking if they all shared a room in chapter 281. Lucy's reply was that Natsu snored loudly, Gray stripped, and that Erza would sneak into her bed at night haha. The idea to make this into a fic came from Kehideni on tumblr.


	7. 7th Star: Burns (AU)

AU. This was written for no real rhyme or reason. I wasn't even sure if I should share it but hopefully some of you will enjoy it...?

* * *

Her heart pounded in her chest and the smell of antiseptic filled the air. She moved through the halls as fast as she could without actually running, heads turning in curiosity as she passed. In her mind she repeated the room number over and over.

187. 187. 187.

She stopped mid-step, her eyes catching on the room number plaque. A shaky breathe, a slow step towards the door, and her feet glued themselves there.

She counted to ten, an attempt to calm her nerves, before she reached for the handle and pushed the door open.

"Natsu." She breathed out when she saw him.

He was sitting on the hospital bed, a nurse wrapping gauze around his arm. Remnants of soot covered his face, his hair, his clothes. His entire torso was wrapped in bandage, along with most his right arm.

She began walking towards him and he looked up. His somber expression brightened slightly and she knew hers must be brimming with worry, as he gave her a small smile. The gesture didn't reach his eyes though and he winced as the nurse tightened the knot on his arm.

She closed the remaining space to reach his side, the nurse stepping out of the room now that she was finished.

"What happened?" Lucy asked, her eyes trained on the dressings that covered the burns on his back. "How did you..." Her voice trailed off, leaving the question hanging.

He was so reckless—it was the reason they met; he had done some crazy rescue in an office fire and she'd been the one to interview him afterwards—but even he knew his limits. And he had his gear should have protected him. Yet the burns covered his back and arms, his hair was even slightly singed. It was hard to see him like this.

"There was a kid still in the house, I gave my jacket to her when we got trapped." He answered after a moment. His voice was slightly raspy and she realized that on top of the burns, he must have inhaled some smoke too.

When she didn't say anything he spoke again. "Where's the camera man?" He asked, looking around her at the door.

"Huh?"

"You're here because of an interview...right?"

Lucy's brows came together. "N-no." She answered confused and then it clicked. Was that the only reason he thought she came to see him? For work? She felt like smacking him upside the head for thinking that but held back.

"Natsu." She sighed, gently taking his hand in hers instead. They both stared at their intertwined hands, she absentmindedly using her thumb to brush away soot from his knuckles. "I'm-I'm not here for work."

Natsu looked up at her but she didn't meet his eyes. She continued. "I heard you were injured and without thinking, I raced over here right away."

The room was silent for a length and then he spoke again. "Why?"

Her lips pursed together. He was going to make her say it. Say the reason why her heart fluttered around him, the reason she stayed up at night thinking about him, the reason his smile made her smile too. The reason she could barely breathe when she heard he had been hurt earlier.

Another stretching silence fell between them before her eyes traveled upward to meet his. She swallowed back her fear and hesitation.

"Because I care about you. So much." She confessed, her voice shaking at the last part.

Natsu sucked in a breath, and she realized he'd been holding it. Before she could react he leaned in the short distance between them that she hadn't even noticed had grown so small and kissed her.

It was soft, lasting only a few seconds and when he pulled away, his eyes met hers again. There was a hint of trepidation in them, like he was worried he made the wrong move. So she smiled at him and he visibly relaxed.

He grabbed her other hand and pulled her in front of him, where she rested her forehead against his. "That alone makes getting these burns worth it." He said softly, and Lucy opened her mouth to scold him for saying such a thing but when he looked up at her and laughed, she was distracted.

"W-what?"

"You have soot on your lips."

She blushed lightly, raising a hand to wipe it off as he grinned. When it was gone, she smiled back at him.

"So do you." She said, using her thumb to clean off the black smudge on his own lips. He murmured a thanks but her hand remained on his face, fingertips brushing the corner of his mouth. He sobered at her touch and she leaned in, intending to kiss him again when someone behind them cleared their throat.

Lucy's head whipped around while Natsu looked over her shoulder. The nurse had returned, her arms crossed.

"This is a hospital not a hotel, you know."


	8. 8th Star: Worth It

Recently drew a picture of Natsu and Lucy with their newborn as a request on tumblr and someone wanted a fic for it too! Hope you enjoy.

* * *

Dawn light shown through the closed curtains, a pink hue spilling into the bedroom and illuminating it. Natsu and Lucy laid under the bedsheets, dark circles under their eyes and a small bundle laying between them.

The newborn child, a little girl whom they'd named after Lucy's mother, was at last sound asleep.

Lucy smiled weakly at Layla, then looked up to her husband who met her gaze. He shared the tired smile she wore, and Lucy held in a laugh at the thought of how easily one baby and a few sleepless nights had worn them down. Taking out evil guild masters almost seemed like no big deal in comparison.

Carefully Lucy reached out a hand to rest it beside their child and Natsu did the same, his hand half covering hers and the baby. They smiled a little wider at each other, their gazes then shifting to look affectionately at Layla.

So they may be half-dead from lack of sleep, but, they both knew as they drifted to sleep, their little girl was worth it.


End file.
